Summary of Practical Experience in Internal Emergency Planning of Dangerous Chemical Establishments
oraz
24 cze 2025
O artykule
Data publikacji: 24 cze 2025
Zakres stron: 29 - 39
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bsaft-2025-0004
Słowa kluczowe
© 2025 Zsolt Cimer et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
Protection measures introduced at the assembly area of the personnel
| 1. | Conducting a headcount check | Identify all evacuated employees by name, initiate a search for any missing employees. |
| 2. | Identifying injured people and providing first aid | Provide first aid to those with minor injuries, and arrange further medical care if necessary. |
| 3. | Maintenance of order | Prevent panic, control employee movement and ensure no one leaves from assembly area without authorization. |
| 4. | Relocation of the assembly point if necessary | If the designated assembly point becomes unsafe, organize a relocation and promptly inform all affected individuals. |
| 5. | Providing information to employees | Communicate regularly with employees, providing updates on the situation, expected actions, and further steps. |
| 6. | Communication with the emergency management room | Maintain continuous contact with the emergency response teams, prepare situation reports, and provide details on missing and injured persons. |
| 7. | Psychological support arrangements | Engage psychological support or a crisis management specialist if appropriate. |
| 8. | Provision of drinking water and basic supplies during extended waits | Ensure availability of drinking water and essential supplies during prolonged evacuations or extreme weather conditions. |
| 9. | Record keeping | Keep accurate records, including attendance sheets, event logs, and any information that must be forwarded to emergency services or internal stakeholders |
Protection measures implemented at the accident site
| Number | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Use of personal protective equipment | Intervention personnel must be equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) based on the nature of the substance involved, including protective clothing, boots, gloves, and respirators. |
| 2. | Damage site investigation and gas concentration measurement | The hazardous area must be continuously monitored, using instruments to detect explosion risk and toxic exposure levels. |
| 3. | Identification of the released substance | Once the physical and chemical properties of the substance are identified, the selected protective equipment - particularly respiratory protection - must be adjusted accordingly. |
| 4. | Suspension of work | All production activities in the affected area must be immediately halted. |
| 5. | Ordering plant shutdown and evacuation | Based on the severity of the incident, the plant may be partially or fully shut down and the employee evacuation must be ordered, typically initiated by an alarm or siren system. |
| 6. | Carrying out the evacuation | Begin the safe evacuation of employees to the designated assembly point and restrict traffic in and around the hazardous area. |
| 7. | Rescue of injured people and first aid | Injured employees must be rescued and treated, and emergency medical services must be notified if necessary. |
| 8. | De-energizing and eliminating ignition sources | Power to the affected area must be disconnected and potential ignition sources eliminated, especially in cases involving flammable or explosive substances. |
| 9. | Preventing further release of the dangerous substance (implementing exclusions) | To prevent further release of the dangerous substance, the containment actions must be taken, such as closing valves, disconnecting pipes or stopping pumps. These actions can be manual or automatic, and their goal is to stop the leak, and shut down the technological system. |
| 10. | Localizing and removing the spilled substance | Depending on the state of dangerous substance, different methods can be applied to prevent the spread of the dangerous substance: the spilled out liquid dangerous substance must be confined and then removed by pumping; the spread of solid substance can be preventing dispersion by covering with foil, or tarpaulin; the gaseous substances spread can be reduced by installing a water curtains, if the substance non-reactive with water. |
| 11. | Chemical neutralization | In the case of an acidic substance spills, neutralization of the area with calcium hydroxide is used. In the case of an alkaline dangerous substance, the use of a mild acidic neutralizing agent is used, such as acetic acid or citric acid. |
| 12. | Containment, if pumping is not possible | Cover the spilled-out substance with absorbent material, then collect it in a closed barrel for hazardous waste treatment. |
| 13. | Waste management and records | Documented collection of the generated hazardous waste (absorbent material, contaminated equipment) and handover to a licensed waste management specialist. |
| 14. | Use of external assistance | If the accident cannot be stopped, or if there is a significant risk of life or material damage, the fire department units must be alerted immediately. |
| 15. | Documentation and subsequent evaluation | All intervention steps must be documented. An evaluation report must be prepared and the emergency plan must be modified. |
Protection measures implemented at the emergency management center
| 1. | Providing the necessary forces and equipment for damage elimination | Mobilize the company's human, technical and logistical resources to support intervention and recovery operations. |
| 2. | Assessing the possible consequences of the event | Develop propagation models and calculate danger zones to restrict the extent of the hazard area and support the decision to implement population protection measures. |
| 3. | Ordering the shutdown of neighboring facilities | Implement measures to prevent the spread of the accident. |
| 4. | Limiting or completely stopping the production | Take action depending on the severity of the event and the degree of danger. |
| 5. | Reorganizing and managing logistical operations | Coordinate material handling, transportation, temporary storage, traffic control as necessary. |
| 6. | Organizing decontamination operations | Direct decontamination activities for affected areas, surfaces, equipment and individuals. |
| 7. | Personnel measures and informing family members | Register injured, evacuated, missing persons, ensure notification of family members where applicable. |
| 8. | Liaising with external authorities, local government | Coordinate with relevant authorities including disaster management authority, police, ambulances services, environmental protection authority. |
| 9. | Communication and preparation of press releases | Activate internal and external communication protocols and public information dissemination to ensure transparency and manage public response. |
| 10. | Reporting to the competent authorities | Submit official accident reports, perform preliminary situation assessment, and maintain event logs. |
| 11. | Launching internal investigations | Investigate the root causes and circumstances of the accident, assign responsibilities, and prepare proposals for preventive safety improvements. |
| 12. | Informing the ownership group | Inform strategic-level decision-makers about the accident and the protective measures implemented. |